Grain-washing machine



C. P. MILLER'AND R. R. LEE. GRAIN WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 13. I919.

11A3 92D Patented Jan. 14),,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

[rm/en Z'ors C-PMiZZer Riga] e'e C. P. MILLER AND R..H. LEE. GRAIN WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- \3. 1919.

Pacmrixedv Jan. W, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Lmsmgo c. P. MILLER AND R. R. LEE.

GRAIN WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1919.

Patented. Jan. W, 1922.

mmsm o 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNETED cs 5 a aso sfeiiies rarest CARL P. MILLER AND RALPH LEE, 0F FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

GRAILN-VJ'AST'IING MACHINE.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. it), 1922..

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. $171,368.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CARL P. MILLER and RALPH R. LEE, citizens of the United States, residing at Fargo, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Grain- Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to an improved machine for removing smut from grain as well as also removing foreign seeds therefrom and has as one of its principal objects to provide a machine of this character wherein the grain may be readily fed into the machine while the machine will be provided with a conveyer for discharging the cleaned grain therefrom so that the grain may be cleaned with ease and facility.

The invention has as a further object to provide a machine employing a container for holding a solution and wherein a brush will be provided for sweeping the smut and foreign seeds from the surface of the solution to be discharged from the container.

The invention has as a further object to provide a machine wherein the solution will be automatically maintained at a constant level within the container.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a machine wherein the grain-discharging conveyor as well as the sweeping brush employed will be simultaneously operated.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved machine,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the machine,

. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view particularly illustrating the float operated valve employed for controlling the feeding of the grain-cleaning solu tion to the container of the device.

In carrying the invention into effect, we employ a container body which is preferably formed from a single piece of suitable sheet metal bent to provide side walls which, for convenience, have been indicated at 10 and 11 respectively. a bottom wall 12. and one end wall 13. The side walls 10 and 11 diverge upwardly and, as-will be observed the bottom wall thereof.

'uaon particular reference to Fi ure 2 of 'fixed to the side walls 10 and 11 within the container is a false bottom 15 provided at its lower end with an end wall 16 secured to the end wall 13 of the container. The false bottom 15 is arranged in spaced relation to the bottom wall 12 of the container and diverges downwardly from said wall. Formed in the false bottom is a plurality of drain openings. At its outer or upper end the false bottom terminates flush with the bottom wall 12 of the container and secured to the latter bottom wall is a discharge spout 17.

Extending transversely between the side walls 10 and 11 of the container at the higher end thereof is a cross strip or bar 18 and journaled through this bar is a conveyor shaft 19 the lower end of which is journaled through the end wall 16 of the false bottom 15. The shaft extends in parallel relation to the false bottom and is bent at its outer end to provide a crank 20. Formed on or otherwise secured to the shaft is a conveyer screw 21 and overlying this screw is a curved housing plate 22 suitably connected at its side margins with the side walls of the container, it being observed upon reference to Figure 3, that the marginal portions of the housing plate are preferably fixed against the side margins of the false bottom 15. Thus, the housing plate 22 will cooperate with the false bottom to provide a conveyer tube snugly receiving the conveyer screw. The plate 22 terminates short of the lower end of the false bottom so that the conveyor tube is thus open at its lower end. Journaled through the cross strip 18 and the end wall 13 of the container. is a shaft 23 which is, as particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, disposed adjacent the upper edge of the side wall 10 of the container and lies parallel to said wall, being slightly inclined down wardly from the strip 18 toward the wall 13. Secured to the said shaft adjacent the Wall 13 is a suitable brush 24 and, as will now be observed, the side wall 10 is, opposite the brush,'notched out and a portion of the wall curved laterally outward to provide an up: wardly directed discharge spout or flange25 of a length substantially equal to the length of the brush. Extending between side wall and the end wall 13 of the container over the brush is a scraper 26. Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 19 is a pulley 27. A

. turning the conveyor screw, the'brush 24:

, solution is placed within the vessel 33.

will also be rotated, it being noted that the belt is twisted so that the brush will be turned in .a direction opposite to the direction ofrotation of the screw.

Suitably secured to the end wall container is a hopper 30 provided at its lower endwith a suitable dischargeslot beneath which one of the converging side walls of the hopper is extended to form a laterally directed discharge flange 31 extending toward the brush 24. Fixed within the hopper adjacent one of the end walls thereo'l ap'artition 32 defining a solution supply vessel 33. Formed in the bottom wall oi this vessel is a discharge opening 34 around which is a valve seat 35 and arranged to cooperate with said seat is a valve 36 from which depends a stem 37. Suspended from the bot: tom wall of'the vessel is a pivoted valve lever 38 connected at one end to the lower end of saidstem. The oppositeend of said lever is bent to project downwardly within the container and mounted upon the lower terminal of the lever is a float 39. y

In use, the container is first filled with a proper cleaning solution and a supply of the As will be clear, as long asthe solutionwithin the container remains at a proper level, the 1 valve 36 of the vessel will be held closed by-the float 39. However, as soon as the level of the solution in the container falls, the float 39 will drop, opening the valve and admitting enough of the solution from the 'supply vessel into the container to maintan the proper level, when said valvewill be again closed. Thus,the level of the so+ lution in the container will. be automati- I cally maintained relatively constant. The

grain tobe cleaned'is', of course, placed with in the hopper 30 and will be slowly fed through the discharge openng at the bottom of the hopper into the container where the grain will collect at the lower end of the conveyer tube. The grain will thus be sub- 'Inerged within the cleaning'solution' so that the solution will act thereon for removing anysmutfrom the grain. Consequently,

' when the crank '20 s turnech the'conveyor screwwill be rotated for discharging cleaned Igrain :at thespout 17, the solution being allowed to drain from the grain through the :zopenm'gsrn the falsebottom 15 asthe grain 13 of the at the discharge spout 25. Thus, it ,will be,

seen that by simply turning the crank 20 the machine may be operated for cleaning grain and discharging cleaned grain from the machine as, well as discharging foreign matter cleaned fromthegrain. v r

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed-as new is:

L A grain W i g machine comprising a container havingan end wall and a transversely curved longitudinally inclined bottom wall, the upper end of said bottom wall terminating in a discharge sp0ut, an inclined tube arranged longitudinally within the corn tainer adjacent the transversely curved'bottom wall of the sameto diverge toward its inner end away from the'bottom wall and having perforations, the upper side of said tube being provided with a grain receiving opening, a hopper having discharge means above said opening, the bottom wall of said tube being bent up and" secured to the endwall of said container for closing the lower end of the tube, a slummingbrush zuran'ged adjacent the lower' end of said hopper and having a shaft extending from endtoend of the container rotatably fitting through said end wall, a conveyor within said tube, and means whereby sa d conveyer and said skimming brush may bearotated simultaneously." a

2. A grain-washingmachine -comprising a container having a transversely curved longitudinally inclined bottom wall, a jslde wall provided with an outwardly and iup-s wardly directed flange, ayskimming brush" having bristles contacting withrsaid flange at a point spaced, from the end of the same,

a stationary scraper rigidly connected to said container. and contacting with the brrstles of said'brushata point above said flange, atube having an opening, a-hopper arranged above said openmg, a 'conveyer arranged within said tube, and means where bysaid brush and said'conveyer may be rotated simultaneously 7 7.

3. A grain-washing machine comprising la container having a longitudinally inclined transversely curved bottom wall, a 'tube arranged within saidrcontainer adjacentgsaid bottom wall to diverge toward itsinner end away from the bottom wall andinclusive of upper and lower sections havinggtheir longitudinal edge portions secured --to' the sides of-said contalner, the lower section;

of said tube being perforated and the upper section of said tube being provided With a grain-receiving opening, a hopper carried by said container and provided with a partition forming grain and liquid-receiving compartments, said graimreceiving compartment being provided with a discharge In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

CARL P. MILLER. [n s.] RALPH 1R. LEE. [L. s.] 

